Tuesday, December 23, 2008

As you we rapidly approach the NHL's Christmas break there are still games aplenty to talk about. Monday night featured 4 tilts with Former Islanders making contributions in each of those outings. Here is a look at the FI workload:

The noteworthy FI duo in Pittsburgh, Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko, are chipping in consistently for the Penguins. It was no different as the Pens took down the host Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in OT. Satan recorded the primary assist on the Pens' 1st goal. Satan now has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points on 33 games. He has 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) over the last 5 contests. For the 13th time in his 13 season career Satan has reached the 25+ point mark. Fedotenko contributed a secondary helper on the 2nd Pittsburgh tally. Fedo has 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points on 31 games. He has averaged a point-per-game over the last 9 outings with 4 goals and 5 assists notching nearly half his season's points in less than 1/3rd the time.

Toronto winger Jason Blake has kept up his recent spat of good play. Blake assisted on the 2nd Toronto goal as the Maple Leafs tore the host Atlanta Thrashers apart 6-2. Blake has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 3 games and 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) over the last 8. He now has 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points on 29 games. After a slow start in which he managed on 10 points in the first 21 contests Blake has turned it on as of late seemingly in response to two healthy scratches he received from Toronto coach Ron Wilson. As well, Toronto has found its offense recently with 31 goals over those last 8 competitions.

It was a rare contribution as Edmonton defenseman Jason Strudwick received the assist on the Oilers' first goal as they beat the visiting Phoenix Coyotes 4-2. Strudwick has 4 assists on 27 games and snapped a 10 game point-less streak with the helper. Thanks to a fight with the 'Yotes' Daniel Carcillo, Strudwick also reached a milestone passing the 700 penalty mark in his 515th career game. Phoenix center Olli Jokinen snapped a 4 game point-less streak with a powerplay helper on the Coyotes' 2nd goal. O-Jok has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points on 28 games. It has be a surprisingly inconsistent season for Jokinen who was saddled with a shoulder injury and has yet to really find a consistent run. His season high points streak is 4 games which is surprising since he managed a run of that much or larger 5 times last season with the Panthers, a team that was considerably poorer offense than this incarnation of the Coyotes.

It was another rare defensive offensive contribution as Vancouver's Rob Davison notched a primary assist on the Canucks' 3rd goal as they downed the visiting Anaheim Ducks 4-3. The assist was Davison's 1st of the season on 11 games. With the helper Davison snapped an 18 game point-less run dating back to March 18 while he was still with the Isles. That game was of course Davison's infamous 200 foot knuckleball against Toronto goaltender Vesa Toskala - one of the sloppiest goals in the history of hockey. For Davison's last helper you would have to go back to February 28 or another 9 games prior to his March 18 goal.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Oddly enough the day with the least games of the entire weekend (4) was the most productive for Former Islanders who made contributions in 3 of those tilts. Here is a look at a productive FI Sunday:

Florida winger Richard Zednik tossed in an insurance goal as the Panthers blanked the visiting Colorado Avalanche for a 3-0 victory. Zed snapped a 5 game goal-less run dating back to November 18 and scored in only his 2nd game back from a minor injury to help the Panthers' charge. Zednik has 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points on 22 games. Sealing the victory with an empty net tally with just under 2 minutes remaining was defenseman Bryan McCabe. He snapped a 3 game point-less streak and now has 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points on 22 games. McCabe is 2nd only to team leader Jay Bouwmeester in defensive scoring.

Boston d-man and captain Zdeno Chara had the secondary assist on the powerplay game winner and added a shorthanded assist earlier in the match as the Bruins doubled up on the host St. Louis Blues for a 6-3 win. Chara has had 4 points over the last 3 contests and now has 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points on 33 games. He has 12 points on the special teams (3 powerplay goal, 8 pp assist and 1 shorthanded assist) this season. The shorthanded helper was his first since January 20 - a span of 69 games (7 playoff) without such an event.

Montreal d-man notched another assist as the Canadiens fell in OT to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 3-2. Hamrlik has had assists in consecutive games for the 2nd time this season and now has 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points on 32 games. For the 16th consecutive time in his 16 season career Hamrlik has reached the 10+ point plateau.

Well there were 5 games up for grabs on Friday night but Former Islanders played a major part in exactly 0 of those tilts. Therefore we look to Saturday for FI action - a surprisingly bleak prospect at that. With 12 games on the NHL schedule the atmosphere was ripe for FI happenings but alas only 3 FIs made the scoresheet in 2 games. Here is a look:

Montreal defenseman Roman Hamrlik received the lone assist on the Canadiens' 2nd goal as they downed the visiting Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in OT. Hamrlik snapped a 6 game point-less stretch and now has 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points on 31 games.

Toronto winger Jason Blake had an assist on his team's 2nd goal as the Maple Leafs thumped the host Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3. Blake snapped a 3 game assist-less streak and now has 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points on 28 games. He has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) over the last 2 games and 8 (3 goals, 5 assists) over the last 7 contests. Getting an assist on Pittsburgh's 1st goal was former teammate Miroslav Satan. Satan has 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) over the last 4 games and has 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) on 32 games. Satan is currently 4th on the Pens in points.

Friday, December 19, 2008

There were a hearty 9 games in play on Thursday night, one that will go down in history as Mats Sundin D-Day (Decision Day). While Captain Indecisive made the hockey community wait 6 months for his choice of the Vancouver Canucks (i.e. former Former Islander capital), the unsung heroes of the NHL, FIs kept plugging along. FIs made contributions in 5 of those games. Here is a look:

Philadelphia winger Arron Asham scored his 2nd goal in the last 5 games and added an assist as the Flyers were thumped by the host Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Asham snapped a 3 game point-less run and a 7 game assist-less streak with the effort. He now has 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points on 31 games. The multi-point night was his first since February 16 when he had 2 goals as a member of the New Jersey Devils - a span of 57 games (5 playoff) without 2 or more points in a game.

Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan slapped home the game winning powerplay goal as the Penguins doubled up on the host Atlanta Thrashers for a 6-3 victory. Satan now has 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points on 31 games this season. Over the last 3 games Satan has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist). Satan has 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) on the man advantage. The game winner was the 49th of Satan's career. Receiving the secondary assist on that winning tally was fellow FI Ruslan Fedotenko. Fedo has a balanced 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points on 29 games. He is riding a 5 game point-scoring streak in which in he has tallied 3 goals and 4 helpers for 7 points or nearly half his season points. Fedotenko has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on the man advantage.

Washington forward Viktor Kozlov had a big night scoring 2 goals and adding a powerplay assist as the Capitals downed the visiting St. Louis Blues 4-2. Kozzer has 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points on 28 games. Kozlov has had points in 3 consecutive games racking up 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points. The 3 point effort was his second in the last 12 games but the 2 goals were his first since January 21. Half of his season's assists (7) have come with the extra man. For the 12th consecutive season Kozlov has reached the 20+ point mark.

Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara had 2 powerplay helpers as the Boston Bruins wowed the crowd in an 8-5 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Chara has 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points on 31 games. He has a shockingly good 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) with the extra man this season. Over the last 6 games Chara is averaging a point-per-contest with 2 goals and 4 assists. Chara is currently only second to Dennis Wideman on the team in defensive scoring (1 goal, 1 assist and 2 points behind). Notching a goal for the Leafs was winger Jason Blake who netted the team's 5th and final goal, a powerplay tally. Blake's numbers are identical to Chara's (6 goals, 11 assists for 17 points) but have come in only 27 contests. The powerplay netter was the 35th of Blake's career. Blake has 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) over the last 6 games.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth had the primary assist on the lone Avalanche goal as they edged the host Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in SO on a very questionable call. Officials ruled that Tampa goaltender Mike Smith had "thrown" his stick in the 2nd round of the SO against Milan Hejduk to stop his shot yet replay only shows a spectacular save followed by the goalie's stick dropping to the ice. Not one to support the Lightning easily, it was clearly a case of poor officiating. But back to Smyth. He now has 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points on 32 games. With the helper Smyth snapped a 3 game point-less streak. Smyth is currently 2nd on the Avs in goals and 3rd in points.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

The St. Louis Blues announced today that captain and defenseman Eric Brewer will be out indefinitely. Brewer is scheduled for surgery on December 19 for a herniated disc. The injury and surgery ostensible ends Brewer's season unless he can recover quickly from such an invasive procedure. We wish Eric a speedy recovery.

Update: It was announced Friday afternoon that Brewer's back surgery was a success. He will now get back on the road to recovery.

There were 5 games up for grabs on Wednesday night and Former Islanders made waves in 4 of those tilts. However, the night was special for a different reason as the Vancouver Canucks retired Trevor Linden's number before a sold out crowd. Linden of course forged his career as a two-time Canuck but must be remembered for his brief stay as captain of the Islanders. Though who made his career as king of British Columbia Linden will always be a Former Islander. Here is a look at the action:

Columbus center Michael Peca scored the tying goal with less than 8 minutes remaining in regulation as the Blue Jackets edged the visiting San Jose Sharks 2-1 in OT. Peca snapped an 8 game point-less streak and a 13 game goal-less stretch with the netter. He now has 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points on 26 games. The goal was career point #450 for Peca and came in his 819th game.

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi also snapped a goal-less run, this time a 19 game drought, as he netted the OT game winner in the Flames' 3-2 road win over the Minnesota Wild. Bert has 8 goals and 14 assists for 22 points on 32 games. He has 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) over the last 7 games. The goal-less streak was ostensibly the longest of Bert's career and pushed him from early team leader to 6th on the squad in goals. The winner was Bertuzzi's 32nd in 825 career games.

On Trevor Linden Night the Canucks did not disappoint the home crowd as they pulled off a 4-2 win over the tanking Edmonton Oilers. Trying to help out the Oil was winger Robert Nilsson who recorded the secondary assist on a late powerplay tally. Nilsson now has 4 goals and 6 assists for 10 points on 26 games. Half his points (5, 2 goals, 3 assists) have come on the man advantage. For the 2nd straight season and 3rd time on his career Nilsson has reached the 10+ point plateau.

The New York Rangers were confident they could defeat the host Los Angeles Kings and despite a barage of shots and OT the Blueshirts pulled off a 3-2 OT victory. They were so confident, in fact, that starter Henrik Lundqvist got rest as FI goalie Stephen Valiquette got the start. Vali stopped 39 of 41 shots including 4 in OT to secure the win. Valiquette improved to 4-2-0 on the season with a .920 save percentage and 2.40 goals against average. He has won his last 2 starts, both 3-2 wins and is only 1 win away from equalling last year's career high 5 victories.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

There were an impressive 9 games on the NHL schedule on Tuesday night. Former Islanders made contributions in only 3 of those tilts but the events were newsworthy. Here is a look at the FI night:

Washington forward Viktor Kozlov recorded the secondary assist on the Capitals' 3rd goal as they survived an Islanders' comeback for a 5-4 OT victory. Kozzer now has 5 goals and 13 assists for 18 points on 27 games. He has had notched assists in 2 straight games and has 4 assists over his last 4 starts. Kozlov is tied for 4th on the team in helpers and currently sits 5th on the team in points.

It is rare for a player who recorded no tangible goals, assists, wins or saves to secure the first star honor but Toronto winger Jason Blake did just that. Blake scored a controversial spin-o-rama goal in the 4th and final frame of the SO as the host Maple Leafs downed the New Jersey Devils 3-2. To see the goal follow this link to the Yahoo! Puck Daddy blog which has the high definition version from the NHL Network. It is hard to tell why there is any controversy considering Blake was following the rule book and, well, it was a pretty awesome goal.

A pair of FIs recorded points as the Calgary Flames doubled up on the host St. Louis Blues for a 6-3 victory. Flames' defenseman Adrian Aucoin scored the first of 2 insurance goals to secure the win. Aucoin has 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points on 31 games. Rumor has swirled around Aucoin recently that he is being used as trade bait by the Flames who are looking to shake things up a little bit. Also getting involved was winger Todd Bertuzzi who recorded the secondary assist on the closing goal. Bert has 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points on 31 games. Bert has 5 assists over the last 6 games but has not scored a goal in 19 competitions! That lack of goal-scoring has to be gnawing away at Bertuzzi.

It was deuces wild on Monday night as 4 teams battled in only 2 games around the NHL. There was only 1 Former Islander happening of note. Let us take a look:

Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood suffered his first regulation loss in the last 17 starts as the Red Wings were edged by the visiting Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Ozzie stopped 24 of 27 shots faced but the offense was not enough as he dropped to 12-2-4 on the season. After starting the 1st game of the season with a loss Osgood went 12-0-4 over the next 9 weeks despite surprisingly poor statistics. Ozzie is sporting a 3.19 goals against average and an .876 save percentage. He had won his last 4 starts dating back to November 28.

Monday, December 15, 2008

There were only 3 games up for grabs as teams continue to battle for points as we approach the midseason of the 2008-09 NHL season. With so few games the opportunities for Former Islanders contributions were slim. With that in mind only one FI made any major offensive impact. Here is a look at the lone FI accomplishment of the day:

Minnesota defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron score the first Wild goal as they fell the host Anaheim Ducks 4-2. The goal came on the powerplay midway through the opening frame. MAB has 3 goals and 13 assists for 16 points on 29 games. All 3 of Bergeron's goals this season and 8 of his assists have come with the man advantage. With the tally MAB snapped a 4 game point-less streak and a 20 game goal-less run dating back to October 29. The goal-less run was the longest of MAB's career surpassing his 19 game drought between May 27 and November 13, 2006 while still a member of the Edmonton Oilers. That span included the first 2 games of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals in which Bergeron never saw the ice again that playoff and his troubled start to the 2006-07 season with the Oil where he was already a marked man.

There were a dozen games on the Saturday night tap as the NHL keeps pumping out fresh hockey draught. Former Islanders are no strangers to help and kicked in their contributions in 6 of those tilts. Here is a look at the FI workload:

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko continued his wave of good play with a powerplay goal and an assist as the Penguinbs fell to the host Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 in a Battle of Pennsylvania matchup. Fedo now has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 4 consecutive games and has improved to 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) on 28 games this season. Scoring the 2nd Pittsburgh goal was tough guy winger Eric Godard. The goal was the 1st of the season for Godard who now has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) on 28 games. The netter snapped a 23 game point-less streak and a 98 game goal-less streak dating back to October 13, 2007 while still with the Calgary Flames. The goal was career point #10 for Godard who has 4 goals and 6 assists over 228 NHL games.

Washington forward Viktor Kozlov had the secondary assist on the game winning goal with only 2:32 remaining in play as the Capitals edged the host Montreal Canadiens 2-1. Kozzer has 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points on 26 games. Over the last 3 games Kozlov has recorded 3 assists including 1 with the man advantage.

Devils' goaltender Kevin Weekes stopped 30 of 34 shots as host New Jersey fell to the Buffalo Sabres 4-2. The start was Weekes' 1st in over 3 weeks dating back to November 21 when he notched career win #100. In that time Scott Clemmensen had secured all the other starts in what has turned out to be an interesting goalie battle since the injury to starter Martin Brodeur. The loss dropped Weekes to 2-4-0 on the season with an .899 save percentage and a 3.06 goals against average. Weekes has dropped 3 of his last 4 starts after starting the season 1-1-0.

Chris Osgood does not need stellar save percentages or low goals against averages to win, he has the Red Wings around him to take charge and edge the competition. Detroit skipped by the host Phoenix Coyotes with a 5-4 SO win and Ozzie was a winner yet again. Osgood stopped 24 of 28 shots between regulation and OT and 3 of 4 in SO to record his 16th straight start without a regulation loss. Ozzie is now 12-1-4 on the season including 12-0-4 during his current 16 game stretch. Yet, despite success his gaa is 3.20 and his save % is a lowly .875. The victory was win #375 for Ozzie and came in game #682/start #655.

Edmonton defenseman Denis Grebeshkov recorded the secondary assist on the game winning goal only 49 seconds in to regulation as the Oilers blanked the visiting Vancouver Canucks for a 3-0 win. Greb has 1 goal and 11 assists for 12 points on 25 games. He is currently 5th on the team in helpers. Also getting involved was Robert Nilsson who capped the scoring with less than 18 minutes remaining in play. Nilsson snapped a 6 game goal-less streak and scored in his first game back since suffering an injury during the November 30 game. Nilsson now has 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points on 24 games.

San Jose d-man Brad Lukowich had an assist on the game winner with just over 5 minutes remaining in regulation as the Sharks slipped by the visiting St. Louis Blues for a 5-4 victory. Luko has 6 assists on 26 games this season including 2 over the last 4. He is currently 5th among Sharks defensemen in assists.

You have got to love NHL weekends. 1) You are pretty much guaranteed 20+ bone-crunching games, 2) Every team plays at least once and 3) It is the best damn sport in the world. December 12-14 was packed with action and Friday was a busy one with 7 games up for grabs. Former Islanders made contributions in a meager 2 of those outings. Let us take a quick look:

Washington defenseman Tom Poti recorded an assist for the third straight game as the Capitals thumped the visiting Ottawa Senators 5-1. Poti had the primary powerplay helper on the first of 3 Caps' insurance goals. Poti now has 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points on 19 games. Poti has had assists in 3 consecutive games for the first time since February 26 to March 3 of last season when he recorded 6 helpers over 4 straight.

Boston captain and d-man Zdeno Chara blasted home the Bruins' 3rd goal as they pounced on the host Atlanta Thrashers for a 7-3 victory. Chara has 4 points in as many games and now sports 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points on 29 games. Over the last 4 games Chara has 2 goals and 2 assists. Also getting involved was winger Petteri Nokelainen who had the primary assist on the B's 2nd goal. Nokelainen has played 21 games this season in a very limited capacity and the helper was his first point of the season. The assist snapped a 22 game point-less streak dating back to April 17 of last season, Game 5 of the Bruins' opening round series against the Montreal Canadiens.

Friday, December 12, 2008

There were 8 games up for grabs on Thursday night and hat tricks were in fashion as 4 players notched 3 goals. None of them were Former Islanders but FIs did kick in their help in 3 of those contests. Here is a look:

Pittsburgh winger Miroslav Satan notched a powerplay goal and 2 assists as the Penguins routed the visiting Islanders 9-2. Two separate Pens notched their first career hat tricks (Petr Sykora, Pascal Dupuis) but Satan did manage to get recognized for his effort with the 3rd star of the game honor. Satan snapped a 3 game goal-less and point-less stretch and now has 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points on 29 games. It was the 5th multi-point night of the season for Satan who is currently 3rd on the team in goals, assists (tied) and points. Also getting involved was Ruslan Fedotenko who recorded the secondary assist on the game winning tally, Sykora's 1st of the game. Fedo has 2 assists in as many games and has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) over the last 3. He has 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points on 27 games.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen scored the game winner with only 2 seconds remaining in the 2nd Period as the Coyotes eased by the visiting Minnesota Wild for a 3-1 victory. In only his 2nd game back from a should injury Jokinen notched his 3rd goal in that span. He now has 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points on 23 games. O-Jok was recognized as the 3rd star of the game after notching his 41st career game winner. For the 6th consecutive season and 7th time on his career Jokinen has reached the 10+ goal mark.

Florida defenseman Bryan McCabe recorded the primary assist on the powerplay game winner as the Panthers blanked the host Edmonton Oilers 2-0. McCabe snapped a 3 game point-less streak and has 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points on 18 games. McCabe has managed 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) with the man advantage this season.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

There were 8 contests up for grabs on Wednesday night as teams scramble for points as we near the midpoint of the 2008-09 NHL season. Former Islanders are contributing where they can and they tipped in their help in 5 of those games but the play was much more than just 5 FIs. Here is a look:

Pittsburgh winger Ruslan Fedotenko is riding a current spat of good play and continued that run assisting on the lone Penguins' goal as they fell to the host New Jersey Devils 4-1. Fedo now has 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points on 26 games. Over the last 4 games he has notched 4 points on 3 goals and 1 assist. The helper snapped a 9 game assist-less streak dating back to November 15.

New York Rangers' goaltender Stephen Valiquette got his first start in over half a month and helped lead the Blueshirts to a 3-2 OT victory over the host Atlanta Thrashers. Vali stopped 27 of 29 shots and faced nothing in the 18 seconds to secure the win. Valiquette improved to 3-2-0 on the season with a 2.49 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. The start was only the 20th of his career.

Washington forward Viktor Kozlov snapped a 2 game point-less streak notching 2 assists including a powerplay helper and one on the even strength game winner to help lead the Capitals to a 3-1 home win over the Boston Bruins. Kozzer now has 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points on 24 games. Over the past 5 games Kozlov has 5 points on 2 goals and 3 assists. Also getting involved was defenseman Tom Poti who received the secondary assist on the game winner. Poti has had assists in back-to-back games and 3 helpers in the last 4 overall. He now has 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points on 18 games. Getting an assist on the lone Boston goal was captain and d-man Zdeno Chara. Chara has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) over the last 3 games and has steadily improved his numbers recently. He now has 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points on 28 games.

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi assisted on his team's 2nd goal as the Flames blew a 3-1 lead and fell 4-3 to the host Detroit Red Wings in OT. Bert now has 4 assists in as many games (one per game) and has 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) on 29 games. For the 11th time on his career Bertuzzi has reached the 20+ point plateau on a season. Also lending a hand was d-man Adrian Aucoin who had the secondary assist on the Flames' 3rd goal, a powerplay tally. Aucoin snapped a 3 game point-less run and now has 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points on 29 games. Thanks to 2 minor penalties Aucoin reached 600 career penalty minutes during the game. For the 11th time on his career Aucoin has reached the double digit point plateau.

Playing in his game since November 26 thanks to a shoulder injury Phoenix center Olli Jokinen made an immediate impact. Jokinen popped home 2 powerplay goals to lead the Coyotes to a 5-3 road win over the Dallas Stars. O-Jok was recognized with the first star of the game honor. He now has 9 goals and 11 assists for 20 points on 22 games this season. For the 9th time in his last 10 seasons Jokinen has topped 20+ points on a season.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

There were only 4 games up for grabs on Tuesday but Former Islanders did not disappointment making waves in 3 of those contests. Here is a look at the FI night:

Tough Philadelphia winger Arron Asham burned his old team for a goal scoring one against the Islanders as the Flyers pulled off a 4-3 home victory. Asham snapped a 3 game point-less streak and a 14 game goal-less streak to notch his 2nd goal of the season. He now has 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points on 27 games. This was the 1st time Asham had scored a goal against the Isles since January 19, 2001 while still a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi extended his point scoring streak to 3 games notching an assist on the lone Flames' goal as they fell to the host Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in a rare inter-Canada matchup. Bert has 3 assists over the last 3 games and now has 7 goals and 12 assists for 19 points on 28 games this season. Bertuzzi is now 1 point away from career #600.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth extended his point scoring streak to 5 games popping in a powerplay goal and adding an assist to lead the Avalanche to a 6-1 thumping of the visiting Los Angeles Kings. Over the last 5 games Smyth has scored 3 goals and added 3 assists for 6 points. He now has 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points on 28 games. For the 12th straight season Smyth has secured himself double digit goals. The powerplay goal was his 5th of the season and the 125th of his career.

It was a fistful of games on Monday night and Former Islanders made their way to the scoresheet in 3 of those tilts. FIs are still making impacts even if an inordinate amount of them are currently injured. Here is a look at the FI action:

Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara rocketed home a game winning powerplay goal as the Bruins sunk the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Chara has 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points on 27 games. The game winner was Chara's 1st of the season and the 15th of his career. Chara did not record a single game winner last season so the winning tally was his first since March 27, 2007, a span of 116 games (7 playoff) without such an occurrence.

Pittsburgh forward Ruslan Fedotenko knocked home 2 goals as the Penguins fell to the visiting Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Fedo has 3 goals over the last 3 games and now has 7 goals and 4 assists for 11 points on 25 games. The 2nd goal was career point #250 for Fedotenko and came in his 557th game. Fedo is currently tied for 5th on the team in goals and 8th on the team in points. The 2 goal effort was the first for Fedotenko since February 14 while still with the Isles.

Toronto winger Jason Blake recorded his second 3 point night in the last 3 games. This time it was against his old team as Blake notched a goal and 2 assists to lead the Maple Leafs to a 4-2 home win over the Islanders. Blakey now has 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points on 24 games. The 2nd assist was career #200 for Blake. The tally was the game winner for the Leafs and was Blake's 1st of the season. In his first season with the Leafs Blake notched 0 game winners so this was Blake's first winning tally since April 5, 2007 while still with the Isles. Ironically that last game winning goal was against none other than Toronto. With 6 points over the last 3 games Blake might have raise his stock a little bit with coach Ron Wilson who is reported to be disappointed with the high priced winger's play.

Sunday brought 5 more NHL games and more Former Islander happenings. FIs kicked in some help in a pair of contests as we chug along to almost the midpoint of the 2008-09 season. Here is a look at the FI workload:

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi notched an assist on the first insurance goal as the Flames blanked the host New York Rangers 3-0. Bert has 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points on 27 games. Bertuzzi has had 2 assists in as many games and has 4 points, all assists, over the last 6 contests.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth popped home the Avalanche's 2nd goal as the Avs pulled out a 5-4 SO win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks. Smyth received the 3rd star of the game honor for his contributions. Smyth now has 9 goals and 7 assists for 16 points on 27 games. He is riding a 4 game point scoring streak during which he has scored 2 goals and added 2 assists. Over that span the Avs have compiled a 2-1-1 record.

With 12 games on Saturday the atmosphere would be ripe for Former Islander contributions, right? Right? Well sorry but FIs only lent a helping hand in 2 of those contests. Well here is a look at those 2 games:

Boston captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara notched the secondary assist on the game winning goal 9:02 in to play as the Bruins blanked the host Florida Panthers 4-0. Chara has 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points on 26 games. He has been effective as of late with 3 assists over the last 4 tilts.

St. Louis captain and d-man Eric Brewer recorded a secondary assist on his team's first goal as the Blues eked by the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4-3 home win. Brewer now has 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points on 25 games. All 5 of his assists this season have come within the last 11 games.